Shoe fitter device



J. L. HARRIS I SHOE FITTER DEVICE May 23, 1939.

Filed June 29, 1956 Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE John L. Harris, New York, N. Y.

Application June 29, 1936, Serial No. 87,949

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to a shoe conforming device and it particularly relates to a device for conforming the members of shoes to the-irregularities of the feet of the wearers.

As shoes are at presentma'nufactured, in mass production, they are usually made according to certain standard lengths and widths.

.1 The f ee't1of many people do not'exactly conform to the standard sizes and in many cases there are irregularities and deformities which cause substantial pain and discomfort if the shoes are worn. l 1

Shoes made to order to fit exactly the feet of the wearer are very expensive and usually beyond the means of most people.

Although many devices have been employed for stretching shoes, particularly of the types having two laterally separating jaws, this stretching is applied to the entire shoe and often does not relieve the shoe upper construction sufficiently to enable its conformation to theirregularities and deformities.

-In addition, a great many of the stretching devices will distort the shoe or cause damage thereto, shortening the life of the shoe or causing deformities of the shoe in other ways in respect to the feet of the wearer.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide an improved shoe conforming device which may be readily adjusted or manipulated to conform theupper of the shoe to irregularities or' deformities in the feet of the wearer without substantially deforming or damaging the shoe.

Another object is to provide a shoe conforming device which may be readily employed'by shoe salesman or wearers to conform shoes to irregularities or deformities in the feet of the wearers, said devices being conveniently utilized incidental to the sale of the shoe to fit the shoe to the feet of the customer.

Other objects will be obvious or will appear during the course of thefollowing specification.

In accomplishing the above objects, according to one preferred embodiment, the device is provided with a wooden form designed to fit a certain size of shoes which wooden form is provided with an expanding plate or similar device on its bottom. On the'top portion is provided a series of protuberances which may be adjustable and removable according to the specific irregularity and deformity in the foot of the wearer.

. An expander screw is provided which is adapted to extend through the wooden form and rearwardly therefrom terminating in a handle.

The inner end of the screw element is provided with a cam device which may be forced into contact with the expanding plate to force said adjustable knobs or protuberances into the upper of the shoe and to soften or expand the shoe to correspond to the particular irregularities or deformities in the foot of the wearer.

In the preferred method of constructing these adjustable protuberances the top of the wooden form is provided with a series of recesses which are rigid or of polygonal shape.

The protuberances, on the other hand, are formed of rounded domes or mushroom-shaped plates, to the bottom portions of which are connected pins having corrugations or shapes corresponding to those of the recesses. Thus the bulged or curved plates may be fixedly positioned on the top of the wooden form in a predetermined position to secure the desired conformation.

The rear bottom portion of the shoe form is also preferably provided with a friction grip to hold the device in position in the shoe during the expansion of the plate and the pressure of the conforming knobs into the upper of the shoe.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detailed description, which when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, will illustrate preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

Referring to the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a side view of the shoe with the con- 7 former device of the present application in position therein, the front portion of the shoe being partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a top view of the .front portion of the shoe conforming device upon an enlarged scale.

7 Figure 3 is a longitudinal section upon the lines 3-3 of Figure Zshowing one of the adjustable knobs or mushrooms in the position in which it is tobe inserted into the shoe form.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are respectively side elevational views of the various types of adjustable protuberances which may be employed in connection with the conforming device of Figures 2 and 3.

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view of the connection between the pm of the adjustable knob or protuberance and recess in the shoe conforming device.

Referring to Figures 1 to 7, the shoe A is provided with an upper front portion B, a sole C and a heel D.

The shoe conformer is provided with a base E made of wood and fashioned to fit one shoe size or a range of sizes, an expanding plate F pivotally connected to said base E, a screw expander G and a plurality of adjustable protuberances H, H and H The base E terminates at I and is bevelled at H and is provided with a threaded passage I2 which receives the threaded shank l3 of the device G, said threaded opening l2 and said threaded shank [3 preferably having square threads which are most satisfactory for transmitting suflicient force to expand the plate F away from thebase E.

At the forward bottom portion of the base E is provided a recess I4 which receives the knob v l5, said knob l5 being fixed by the sleeve IG' and the pin II at the end of the shanlc l3of'the screw device G.

The knob I5 is adapted to abut the inner face l8 of the plate F, which plate" is: of thesame shape and dimension as the bottom I9 of the base E.

The rear-end of the plate is screwedat 't'o a hinge plate 24, which is received in: a recess 22- in-: said expandingplate, saidhinge plate 21 being: connected by the: pivot mount 22' to the fixed plate 23; which is connected by screws. 24- to the body of the base E.

On the upwardly sloping portion 25 ofthe base Eis provided the friction grip member, which may consist of a piece of corrugated rubber, tacked or adhesively attached to said portion 25, or the surface of the portion 25' may be corru-- gated or ridged to contain such friction grip;

Gin the'topand' on the forward: portion 21 of the form E are provided corrugated or" ridged holes: or recesses 28-, 28, 28 ,28 28 and'28 These recesses have been found to be. most satisfactorily arranged if they are positioned in three parallel longitudinal rows, of two. or three each, two in each row being shown in Figure 2:

In the side rows are respectively the openings 28; 282 28 and 285'- The middle row'is'provided with the openings 28 and 28 the latter being positioned somewhat forwardly of? the corresponding side openings 28, 28, 28 and 28 Theshanks 29', 29 29 are preferably corrugated orridged to correspond to the recesses 28' to 28 all inclusive, so that theymay. beplaced' in" any desired predetermined adjusted: position to cause satisfactory formation of the shoe upper B.

As shown best inFi'gure' 3,. the devices H tel-I are-of mushroom shape with: the corrugated pins 29' being attached to the inside center portion of the mushroom plate H, as'in'di'cat'ed at 30".

If desired, the recesses 28' to 28 and the pins 29. to 29 maybe made of hexagonal or square shapes',.but this does not' give" as wide a range of adjustments as the corrugations: shown and preferred'.

The handle 33 attached to the end ofthe shaft or shank of the screw device G is conveniently shaped for operation by the hand of the customer or shoesa'lesman;

As indicatedin Figures 1' to 3; the mushroom or knobs H to H may be inserted in any suitable position Where the shoe member B is to be conformed, and the axis of the mushroom maybe suitably positioned by means of the cooperation between the pins 29"" to-29 'and' the recesses 28' ton to apply the adjustment to the portion of the upper to beconformed.

By study of the front portion of the foot of the wea-rer, whether the wearer hashammer toes, bunio'ns, corns or other defects, it is possible to determine the exact position and-"direction of the adjustments H to H and then the adjustments may be inserted in position as indicated at Figures 1 to 3.

The collapsed device may be inserted into the shoe, as indicated in Figure 3 and then by turning the handle 33, the knob l5 may be forced against the plate F elevating the base E and forcing the adjustments, mushrooms or knobs H to H into a suitable portion of the shoe upper construction.

It is usually desirable to moisten the portion of the lining or interior portion of the shoe which isto be adjusted by the devices H to H and if desired, said portion of the shoe may also be heated" and/or steamed incidental to such adjustment.

The mushrooms or knobs H or H may be made of awide variety of shapes and sizes and as many recesses such as 28 to 28 may be employed; as found to be convenient.

One of the devices, as shown in Figures 1 to 3 may beutilized over a range of sizes; or for one size, as may bedesired.

It is to'be understood that the form E may be made of molded plastic materialsuch: asrBakelite, of metals such as aluminum; of hard. rubber or of other suitable materials- It is apparent that the specific illustrations shownabove have been given by way? of illustra tion: and not by wayof limitation and: that the structures described above are subject to wide variation and modification without departing from the: scope or intent of the invention, all of which: variations andmodifications are to be included within the scope." of the present: in vention.

What is claimed is:

1. A. shoe conforming device comprising a base: member to be inserted in theforward part of a; shoe; a separable plate member pivotally attached to the middle portion of the bottom of 'said base member and extending forwardly to press said-base member when separatedtherefrom against the forward upper portion of the s-hoe,,a' cone shaped wedge member to cause separation between said'separable member and said base member, said wedge member being received in a: recess in the bottom of: said base member andbeingpositioned so. that. one side: thereof will slide longitudinally along; the inside face of saidiseparablemember; and manually operated m'eansito control said wedge-member to separate said separable member and. saidbase member after insertion thereof into the forward: parii of the shoe, the portion. of the bottom. of the base member behind said: pivoted: attachment having a roughened gripping, surface, said gripping surface comprising a: piece of rubber attached: to the base member behind the pivotal attachment and having a corrugated face and theplate. being ungrooved.

2,. A shoe conforming device comprising a base member to be inserted. in. the forward part of a shoe, a separable plate member attached to, the bottom of saidbase member to press said-base member when separatedtherefrom against the forward upper portion of the shoe,.a cone-shaped wedge member. to cause separation between said separable member and said base member, said wedge member being received in a. recess. in the bottom of said base member and' being positioned so that one side thereof will slide longif tudinally along the'inside face'of said separable member, and manually operated means to control said wed'gemember to separate'sai'd separable member and said base member after insertion thereof into the forward part of the shoe, said base member comprising a form of approximately the interior shape of the forward portion of the shoe and said separable member comprising a plate pivotally attached and extending forwardly to the rear part of said base member and having the same outline as the bottom of said base member, the portion of the bottom of the base member behind said pivoted attachment having a roughened gripping surface, said gripping surface comprising a piece of rubber attached to the base member behind the pivotal attachment and having a corrugated face and the plate being ungrooved.

3. A shoe conforming device comprising a base member to be inserted in the forward part of a shoe, a separable plate member pivotally attached to the middle portion of the bottom of said base member and extending forwardly to press said base member when separated therefrom against the forward upper portion of the shoe, a cone-shaped wedge member to cause separation between said separable member and said base member, said wedge member being received in a recess inv the bottom of said base member and being positioned so that one side thereof will slide longitudinally along the inside face of said separable member, and manually operated means to control said wedge member to separate said separable member and said base member after insertion thereof into the forward part of the shoe, said manually operated means comprising a threaded shank provided with a handle, and said base member comprising a threaded bore extending obliquely therethrough to receive said shank, the end of said shank being connected to said wedge member, the portion of the bottom of the base member behind said pivoted attachment having a roughened gripping surface, said gripping surface comprising a piece of rubber attached to the base member behind the pivotal attachment and having a corrugated face and the plate being ungrooved.

4. A shoe conforming device comprising a base member to be inserted in the forward part of a shoe, a separable plate member pivotally attached to the middle portion of the bottom of said base member and extending forwardly to press said base member when separated therefrom against the forward upper portion of the shoe, a cone-shaped wedge member to cause separation between said separable'member and said base member, said wedge member being received in a recess in the bottom of said base member and being positioned so that one side thereof will slide longitudinally along the inside face of said separable member, and manually operated means to control said wedge member to separate said separable member and said base member after insertion thereof into the forward part of the shoe, said base member being provided with a plurality of corrugated recesses and an adjustable knob member having a corrugated stem to cooperate with one of said recesses to enable expansion of the member of the shoe at predetermined places, the portion of the bottom of the base member behind said pivoted attachment having a roughened gripping surface, said gripping surface comprising a piece of rubber attached to the base member behind the pivotal attachment and having a corrugated face and the plate being ungrooved.

5.1 A shoe conforming device comprising Ia form member of approximately the interior shape of the forward portion of the shoe to be conformed, a plate of the same exterior contour as .the base of the form and pivotally connected to said form at the rear of the sole of the form, a' friction grip positioned on the rear bottom portion of the form where it turns upwardly from the sole, a plurality of holes arranged in rows upon the forward upper portion of the form, where the form corresponds to the toe and instep portions of the shoe, a recess in the bottom of the forward portion of the form to receive an adjustable knob, which is pressed against the forward portion of said plate to separate it from the form, a threaded shank connected to said knob and extending substantially to the rear of the shoe when inserted therein, a handle at the end of said shank, said form having an oblique threaded passage extending therethrough to receive said threaded shank, and a knob or protuberance member fitted into one of said holes to enable expansion of the upper of the shoe at a point corresponding to a deformity or irregularity in the foot of the wearer.

6. A shoe conforming device comprising a form member of approximately the interior shape of the forward portion of the shoe to be conformed, a plate of the same exterior contour as the base of the form and pivotally connected to said form at the rear of the sole of the form, a plurality of non-circular holes arranged in rows upon the forward upper portion of the form, where the form corresponds to the toe and instep portion of the shoe, a recess in the bottom of the forward portion of the form to receive an adjustable knob, which is pressed against the forward portion of said plate to separate it from the form, a threaded shank connected to said knob and extending substantially to the rear of the shoe when inserted therein, a handle at the end of said shank, said form having an oblique threaded passage extending therethrough to receive said threaded shank, and a knob or protuberance member having a non-circular shank fitted into one of said holes 7 to enable expansion of the upper of the shoe at a point corresponding to a deformity or irregularity in the foot of the wearer.

JOHN L. HARRIS. 

